Since 19
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Wesleyan eommunity^
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inside
'this ,
issue ^
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Random Thoughts
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Matthew on Movies
Turney Performs at
NCWC
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Deborah Sanders
Honored as 2004
lota Rho Gem
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Two Biology l^ajors
Present their Research
at State Conference
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Visiting Writers Series
Spring 2004
Your Decree
Staff
Editor-in-Chief
-Ron Fitzwater-
Copy Editor
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Contributing Writers
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Facuity Adviser ■
-Dr. D K. Campbell-
ApRi; 2004
Numder 9
Students Demand
Answers from Newbould
By: Ron Fitzwater
Shortly after the announcement
by Peter Phaiah, in an emergency
SGA meeting on March 21==' 2004,
that access to student activities fees
had been frozen, student leaders
from across campus began making
pians to get answers as to why the
administration had decided that the
action had to be taken.
Mr. Phaiah had been asked during
that meeting if the President would
speak with them? His answer was
that the students would have to ask
the President themselves.
Several groups made that attempt.
Student Government Association
President Keyanna Peoples and
Vice-President John Tejada had
Mr. Phaiah, who is their advisor,
cat! the Presidents office to request
a meeting. Their request however,
was turned down, as President Ian
Newbouid stated, because what
had been explained to him was that
the SGA wanted to “hear it from me,
not from him”. Peoples explained
that they were sitting in Phaiah’s
office when, at their request, the
meeting was asked for.
The President stated that he
didn't accept the meeting request
because he “didn’t need SGA to go
over his head to make him (Phaiah)
look like a puppet, because that
undermines him”.
Students display signs to drivers on Hwy 301
Tejada that if the students would
have come to him directly and
asked him to talk “then absolutely,
Why not. Will you get everything
you want will you win the argument?
Maybe, I don’t know. I win some, I
loose some, you might win some,
'WeVe come to the end o1
the year, we’re balancing the
budget, and we’re shutting
down spending in every area
except that which is absolutely
necessary. ”
- President Ian Newbould
you might loose some but that’s not
the point. Really the important point
is let's discuss it,”
The President told Peoples and The President further clarified that
I
Students line the side of Hwy 301 at NCWC front entrance
NoRTk CaroUna WesIevan CoUeqe Rocky Mount, NortM CaroUna 27804
his point in turning down the request
to talk was not because he did not
want to speak with the students,
but that he did not wish to offend
Phaiah. He added, however, '‘If all
you wanted to’hear from me, was
what he was saying, then no.”
Another attempt to have the
President speak with the students
was put into place by Black Student
Association (BSA) President
Brandon Edge and former BSA
President Pamela Bryant, both
members of the hastily and
unofficially formed Student Action
Committee (SAC). That attempt
was to circulate a petition requesting
the that President appear before
all interested students in an open
forum, Ms. Bryant collected 156
signatures and attempted to deliver
it to the Presidents office for his
consideration where she met with
some resistance from Presidential
Administrative Assistant Jetta Baker.
Ms. Bryant related the exchange
with Ms. Baker as follows;
“The first time I took the petition she
(Baker) told me that I would have
to make an appointment to see him
(Newbould). She told me that if he
refuses to see me, or he refused to
honor the petition that she would
be the one to tell me about it. I
asked her how soon we could get
an appointment and she said ‘If you
will come back tomorrow, I
See Students page 5